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Why Australia鈥檚 gun laws aren鈥檛 as strong as you might think

Australia reconsiders its gun control laws, following the Bondi Beach massacre.

After the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, Australia tightened its gun laws, and has since been considered a world-leading example by gun control advocates of how to lessen the chances of mass shootings occurring.

However, the mass murder of at least 15 people in an antisemitic attack at Bondi beach on Sunday has again raised the issue of gun access, and Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has said he is 鈥渞eady to fight鈥 to strengthen the laws again.

On today鈥檚 show, Ariel Bogle, an investigations reporter with Guardian Australia, explains why the number of guns in Australia has been rising, and how stricter laws might be received in the country.

Producers: Hannah Moore and Xandra Ellin

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Marty Peralta

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Photo of unregistered handguns that were returned to police, near Smederevo, Serbia. Credit: Dimitrije Goll /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

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26 minutes

Last on

Fri 19 Dec 2025 01:32GMT

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